My Remedy
by paperbackwriter9
Summary: Forced to leave her home and arranged to marry the Earth king, Katara must do her duty in order for the Earth Kingdom to join stronger forces with the Water Tribes, as advisor Long Feng is unwilling to fully unite them. Unknown to everyone, under the moonlight, there is someone that is desperate to steal her away in order to regain honor and power within the Fire Nation.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! I'm back! This time I promise to complete this story as I have written the entire thing and will update each week, possibly twice a week. It's been six years since I wrote my first ATLA fan fiction and since Korra is coming out again, I realized I missed my Zutara stories haha. SO, I do not own ATLA, and thank you for reading :)**

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**"Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be."**

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No matter how hard I tried to stop the bleeding from my fingers it would not let up. I had the awful habit of chewing them down until the skin around them turned hard and tough. This developed when my father, the chief of the Southern Water Tribe, summoned me to tell me the news of my future. I ran my fingers along the cravings of a bracelet made by my grandmother. She had craved wooden beads into animal shapes that were passed down to me. I lay in my blankets and listened to the howling of the wind. Though many would think the Water Tribe was a cold place that was unforgiving, my people had survived for many centuries doing their duties. These are the words my father had repeated to me.

Two months ago he had sent a messenger to me and when I visited the meeting tents, he had told me my duty. The duty I had to the tribe and the duty that I had as a daughter. My first reaction was to scream and argue but I could sense that he was not going to stand for any of that. "Katara, you are my only daughter, strong willed and brave like your mother was." He eyed me and I bowed my head in respect. My mother was murdered after saving my life. Lying to the fireguards that had attacked our village. She had told them that she was the last water bender and they had slain her for it.

"Your mother had done her duty when she married and gave birth to you and your brother." He paused and placed his hand on my shoulder, and I looked up and his tired eyes were worn out by the ongoing war. "You are to be married to the ruler of the Earth Kingdom, King Kuei." My fists clenched and I stared into my father's weary face.

"I cannot just be traded."

"You are to obey what I say, it is a match to strengthen the relations between our nation and theirs. He is in need of a wife and you are the best option to create a stronger bond. We need the Earth Kingdom to be fully on our side. It is no time to be selfish. They are powerful and more resourceful then we are, with their nation still producing benders..." My heart broke in two when I realized that my father had been so drained from this war that he was making decisions to marry off his only daughter.

"Father, what about Yue, she is the daughter of the Northern Tribe and raised with better intentions to serve-"

"You know that Yue is ill and has been since she was an infant. Do you think that I want to part with my only daughter? King Kuei's advisor, Long Feng still does not work side by side with the Water Tribes, and King Kuei is not strong enough to remove him from his advising position. My lovely daughter," he paused and briefly touched my mothers necklace that hung from my neck, "you are strong and can show the Earth King that the our nation is brave and in need of his help. You are brave like your mother," he said and ended the conversation. I knew he was saying this to show me that I had no choice but to listen and be respectful without throwing a fit.

Upon hearing my father's news I had grown quiet and hurt by the betrayal of my Water Tribe people. I felt like all of the other generals and men could easily agree with my father's choice since their daughters were safe in their huts. My brother saw my pain at first and tried to reason with my father, telling him that there are other ways to get to the Earth king. But he would not listen and tell Sokka that he needed to be a man and listen to his father's wishes.

Eventually Sokka came to yell at me for not being a better daughter in a time of war. "What about free will! What about love! You loved my mother!" I shouted one day at my father when we were eating. His face was hurt for a moment, but it disappeared when a messenger came to the table and whisked father away. I had never seen or heard much of the Earth king. What if he was spineless and mean, or was old and fat and made me do everything for him. My heart ached at the scenarios that I made in my head as the days to the wedding grew closer and closer.

Almost everyone was to take the trip to the Earth Kingdom and be present for the wedding. Plans had already been made for me, and I had nothing to do but sit and watch my future being taken away. I had many fits and cried more than I ever had, so to calm myself I practiced my bending. Tonight the moon was full and I ventured out into the snow and watched the stars glitter high above me. Was I really going to be marrying this man that I had never seen. The fact that it was my own father who agreed with this plan still shocked me. My father had changed with the war, but the world did not.

It was less and less heard of in our tribes, that someone was forced into an arranged marriage. Though it happened I never even dreamed that it would happen to me one day. I kicked the snow pile in front of me and watched it crumble into the ocean below. This ledge was one of my favorite places to come and sit as it had the best view. "Beautiful, -" I turned at the sudden voice and saw my grandmother's tiny figure making her way across the snow. I had rarely spoken to her since the news, and she had kept a distance from me. "It is time that I tell you a story," she said and sat down next to me. We looked out at the dark ocean and the bright sky filled with light that reflected off our faces.

"It is one that I think you should know. When I was close to your age, sixteen, I was entered into an arranged marriage. His name was Pakku…" she said and sighed. "He was a waterbender, young and strong, and in love. He was thrilled that we were to be married, but was obsessed with the old customs of the Northern Tribe. Women were not allowed to train and practice their waterbending because it was forbidden as women were second to men." I listened to my grandmother and looked at her in a new light. This was a story that I had never heard before, though I knew she was born in the North. "He could not stand to see me in any other position but his wife, though he loved me, he would not give me that freedom. My granddaughter… I felt trapped and smoldered by his plan for our future. So I ran."

She looked at me and took my face into her hand. "I ran to the South and lived a life that was mine." Gran Gran reached for the necklace and ran her finger over it. "It is tradition to crave a necklace for your betrothed, and I took it with me." Her eyes filled with tears and I saw a side of her that I never knew.

"You ran and made a life for yourself," I whispered and she sat back. "Are you telling me to run?" I asked sounding naïve.

"I am telling you a part of my life that changed my future forever. Had I stayed I would have been dressed up like a doll and shut away from the world. But by leaving I had disgraced my family and was forbidden to return. There is so much to lose in this life by following your heart," she sighed and we sat in silence for a long while.

"This marriage would do our tribe well, and we would be stronger with a large ally on our side. You could do great things for our world in that type of position of power, one that I was never able to have. But you are my granddaughter and I cannot help but feel the same sadness that I experienced." She stood and I felt tears in my eyes that stung my face once they ran down my cold cheek. "Leaving to a new place had done me good, maybe it shall be the same for you," she said and left so quietly I did not notice I was alone until I was so tired from crying that I picked myself up and went to sleep.


	2. An Aching Heart

When dawn broke a week later we rose and got into boats that were to take us to the Earth Nation. My things had been packed, and my broken heart was hidden away with them. The night before I cried and cried, letting myself feel the pain that I had been trying to ignore. It overwhelmed me and ran so deep that I was sure I would die from heartache. Once I woke to the early morning light beneath the tent flap, I stayed lying there for a good while in order to remember my home. The nights when I would play with Sokka and run down the snowy hills, chasing the other kids. The full moons that I watched as waterbenders had a hard time sleeping for the moon controlled our bending. And I closed my eyes tight thinking about Gran Gran's story and how she was brave going off on her own in order to find a better life.

None of these things gave me comfort though, because I was going to a nation that was controlled by rocks and dirt. A place that was alien to me except for stories I had heard. King Kuei was supposed to be a gentle man that was older than I was and proud of the people he ruled. _How was I going to make him a good wife, I could barely listen to my father. _Wives were to be dependent on their husbands and to never speak unless they did. These were a few rules the other ladies told me as they fit me for my dress.

It was a very grand dress, more so then any I had ever seen. Weddings here were simple and peaceful but I was told my wedding was going to be a huge celebration with at least eighteen courses. The women would pinch and poke me as they fitted me one last time and struggled to hold a huge mirror so that I could see. It took my breath away at the fine cloth that they used. There were five layers to the dress, which was not nearly as many as an Earth Kingdom ensemble, I was told. The first layer was white as the snow, followed by blue layers that were died darker until the top layer was a magnificent rich blue with a pattern of the Southern Water Tribe across the bottom. I looked even more impressive than Yue when we had visited the Northern Tribe.

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It was time to set sail on a journey that would take a mere week to reach the Earth Nation, but a week and a half more in order to travel to Ba Sing Se, the capital of the kingdom and my future home. My father ducked his head in as I was sitting there waiting to leave. My eyes were blank for I could feel nothing as I had cried a river the night before. "It is time Katara," he said softly though I did not look at him but bowed my head and followed him outside. The air was fresh and clean and I breathed it in deep into my lungs so that I could remember the smell of the snow after it had fallen, and the salt air from the sea. My Gran Gran took my hand and we left onto the great boats that were taking me from my home forever. I didn't dare look behind me for I knew if I did, my tears would fall.

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Each night aboard the boat I could not sleep and ventured outside so I could watch the moon slowly shrink until it was no longer full. As its power lessened its hold on me, I was able to think clearer and felt more hatred. My brother would barely look at me now after he had grown used to yelling at me to behave. I knew that he felt bad for arguing with me, but the men of the tribe had put so much pressure on him to grow up and be tough in order to help in this war. As much as I wanted to yell at him, I kept my mouth shut because he looked so lost trying to be like our father.

Sokka would stand up tall and push his chest forward as if he was stronger than he really was. Aboard the ship I saw him practice fighting with another man from our tribe and got frustrated when he fell each time. I wanted to comfort my brother and tell him that he would be strong and wise one day, but I never spoke to him for more than a few minutes. They called him to sit in on meetings and listen to strategies so that they would be ready after my wedding.

With the union of my marriage and the more important union of the two nations, we were strong enough to attack the Fire Nation. After eavesdropping on many occasions I heard that they had some sort of plan after my wedding to join together and sail towards the Fire Nation for a more direct attack. I did not want anyone to be hurt, but I felt as if I was being dropped off and forgotten as they moved on with their lives and plans. What was life going to be like for me? This entire journey made me anxious and even sick to my stomach after thinking about my future. _Would I disappear and live in a palace shut up forever? Or would I hate my husband and life to the point where I no longer wanted to live?_ Every idea I imagined made me feel worse and tremble with anger.

When we ate it would be in silence, so I had asked the cook to take it to my room. My father tried to convince me that everything would be alright, that I was tough and would be brave for our tribe. But I felt like a child and shook my head, I did not want to marry the Earth king, I wanted to live by the ocean forever.

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My father was always busy with some news from some general about the war. I walked around the ship and caught brief words that the people feared the Fire Nation had sent guards in disguise to meet us at the port. All of this sounded like a blur to my ears because I was wrapped up in my own pity.

Once we reached the port we were told to wait until the guards thought it to be safe. It was called the Seaport Village, and we were to make our journey from here. A messenger was to ride ahead without stopping to inform the king that we had arrived on his shores. I was so naïve as to not notice the bigger picture than my own fate. Gran Gran explained this to me as we rode in elegant looking carts that were covered on top. They were for my family and a few other generals while the rest had to ride in normal uncovered buggies. "This marriage is going to secure the peace for our nation. We are small and in need of help, one hundred years of war has slowly destroyed us, which is why, a marriage between the two is a great opportunity. I know my child, that this is not what you want, that you are even scared… but you are going to do great things for your people. This is something that you should try to remember when you are saying your vows. We learn to respect our husbands until one day we can love them."

These explanations continued on throughout the entire journey and I promised myself that I was going to be like my mother, brave and selfless. This thought gave me some comfort and though it was only a little, it made me feel a bit better. Though I did remember reading stories about falling in love with brave soldiers and women that had secret affairs with the men they truly loved. I always believed that I would fall in love with someone one day, who was of my own choice. Gran Gran's words did make sense but why did it have to be me? Why couldn't I have found a husband back home and be happy...

We stayed each night in different places that had been told ahead by messengers. One night it was with a famous Earth Kingdom general with a large house. On the last night we continued through to Ba Sing Se in order to make it on time. I felt my head slipping as I dozed off throughout the bumpy ride and at last gave in. My dreams were filled of ocean breezes and crisp air that filled my lungs until they wanted to burst. But I could not wake up as the dream turned into a nightmare. My grandmother shook my body until I opened my eyes and gasped for air. There was early morning light creeping under the drawn shade. My dream left me with a foul taste. I tried to close my eyes again, trembling a little because my dream had felt so real. It was still early and we would not arrive until the sun was higher.

* * *

"We are here!" a voice shouted and my stomach dropped with fear. With Gran Gran still asleep, I peeked out the curtain and saw a sea of green and brown. It was hideous! My eyes filled with tears at being overwhelmed. There were many people waiting on either side as our group rode through to the palace. It was house after house with no water or trees to break up the town. I felt weak and sat back in my seat as if I was going to be sick any moment.

Suddenly we came to a stop and my heart stopped with it. The door opened and light poured through waking my grandmother. A servant from the palace came to me and helped me down and another servant raised a parasol over my head and motioned me along. My father nodded and my grandmother followed close behind. It only hit me then that I was going to be a queen. I would have everything at my fingertips, yet I would be ruling a people I did not know. _How would they embrace me?_ The walls on either side were enormous, so high that I felt it was lost in the clouds. Banners with Earth Kingdom symbols hung from the walls and I wondered how they managed to put them there. The roof looked like gold and shimmered as we walked past.

Up the steps and into the main entrance, and it was done. There was no longer any hope of escaping my future and what was worse, everyone was going to leave me once the wedding was over. The palace was lit with torches and the walls were dark green with paintings of past royals along them. Though most of the people I saw through the window had dark skin, these royals had light skin and there was no waterbender upon the walls. But times had changed and people were desperate. The war had created a mess to everything, and this was my duty to fix, though I did not know how.

"Mistress," the servant bowed and we walked up another flight of stairs until we reached a grand room with huge double doors. "These are to be your courters, the King is still another hall above and is to expect you to live here during your marriage." My Gran Gran shooed her away and told her that we needed to rest. The wedding was in three days, and I was to go through a traditional ceremony that would make me queen. Upon entering the doors, it unfolded into a bright room with gold furniture and more paintings of nature and even ones of the sea. Then through another set of doors we were in the bedroom. It was on a raised platform that was surrounded by curtains. Gran Gran pulled these aside and we sat on the bed without a word. A table with an elegant mirror sat opposite of me, and already had makeup and jewelry lain out.

A knock on the door startled me and in came an older woman followed by a younger maid. "Mistress," she bowed, as did the maid, "I am Ms. Kaye, in charge of the maids for the royal families. This is Mai, and she will be your personal maid," and the girl bowed. I was not used to the idea of having someone to help me and it seemed so wrong. "We shall start preparing you for the wedding after you have rested. Everyone has been resting into their rooms, and your father is down the hall," they bowed again and Ms. Kaye left. Mai came over and offered to draw my bath. I shook my head no but Gran Gran told her it was all right.

"You must accept this new life," and she left the room. I stood there awkwardly in my water garments, and felt so out of place in this magnificent home.

"It is ready," she came back and bowed, leading me to bathroom, which held a tube large enough to fit five people. It was made of gold and gleamed from the sunset coming through the open window. The water sparkled and I saw she had added rose petals and scents into the tub. She reached up and started to undo my clothing and I jumped back in surprise. She paused and then slowly tried again and this time I let her. What a strange world, filled with customs that I had never received before. She stripped me down until I was completely naked and I felt self conscious. Mai bowed her head and left me alone.

I turned and saw my naked body in a mirror across the room. I looked so out of place and confused that my own reflection startled me. My body did ache from the long ride in the buggie, so I slowly got into the bath and felt the warm water comfort me. As I soaked in the tub and felt every limb relax from the pain, I started to cry once more. There was really no turning back.


End file.
